PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Human Rights (15 March 2021)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the recommendations in Amnesty International's report entitled, On the Human Rights Frontline: how the UK Government can defend the defenders, published on 10 March 2021.

Asked by:
Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat)

We welcome Amnesty International's continued championing of Human Rights Defenders, and are considering carefully the request from Amnesty and other NGOs for a UK Government strategy on Human Rights Defenders. The UK strongly supports Human Rights Defenders worldwide to help enable them to carry out their work safely and without fear. In 2019, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon launched the document 'UK support for Human Rights Defenders' which was drawn up with significant and important input from relevant stakeholders, including Amnesty International, and which sets out how the UK Government engages with Human Rights Defenders to advance the human rights agenda globally. In the context of the establishment of the new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the recently published Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, we will consider what more the UK can do to support Human Rights Defenders in the future.

Answered by:
Nigel Adams (Conservative)
18 March 2021